INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis 500 will always be about the racing but 2016 winner Alexander Rossi noted the military pageantry elevates the experience on race day. He was glad to have an opportunity to recognize and thank military veterans at a special event at Stout Army Air Field on Monday.

“It’s very important to me because there’s been a lot that we have done at Andretti Autosport the past two years with military and motor sports,” Rossi said. “With Crown Royal coming on board this year, it’s been a very unique opportunity for us as a team to really contribute to our servicemen and women and show them how much we appreciate everything they do.”

Major General Courtney Carr joined Rossi and Crown Royal Director of Whisky Engagement Stephen Wilson on stage to begin the morning with a short address.

Carr said that this event is just one of many ways that servicemen and women are shown tremendous support from the racing community in the Month of May. In addition to the meet-and-greet with Rossi, Carr will distribute tickets to a variety of Indianapolis 500 events to the soldiers and airmen, which include opportunities to ride in the pace car, wave the green flag at an event and other tickets.

Rossi told the crowd that winning the race in 2016 was incredible but being on the track for the National Anthem with the servicemen and women was almost as neat of an experience.

“With it being on Memorial Day, there’s obviously a lot of different amazing things that go into the pageantry of what is the Indianapolis 500,” Rossi said. “It really lasts the entire weekend, but specifically on that Sunday morning with the cannon going off and the signaling of the opening of the gates, there’s a lot of military influence that goes into the race.”

A big part of Crown Royal’s connection and appreciation for the military is through The Wall of Gratitude, an initiative started in 2017 submissions of names of military honorees and those names were placed on a wall at the Speedway.

The goal for the number of submissions this year is 31,680 names, the number of plaques that it would take to go around the track for one lap.

“To be able to memorialize the service members’ service by putting their name on the wall is really pretty special,” Carr said. “I think this was a great way to publicize that. For our soldiers and airmen to be able to get their names memorialized on that Wall of Gratitude is really pretty neat.”

The Wall of Gratitude and the bag of tickets were just the beginning for the members of the military Monday. They each had a chance to talk with Rossi and ask him whatever questions they had.

“It’s cool for us to be able to meet them and just say thank you,” Rossi said. “We feel very fortunate to be able to do what we love because they’re out there doing the ultimate.”